Walking is Very Un-American

[Alex]

Walking is Very Un-American
Whenever we visit other countries we are struck by how walking is just an accepted part of life. Certainly it is partly due to the structure of older cities but other cultures seem not to have given nearly as much emphasis to the automobile as a way of getting around. When we have asked directions to a restaurant, they just assume if it is only a 20 minute walk that we would use our feet to get there, whereas in various cities in America, they assume we would take our car or a taxi. In a small town in Norway, we took our car down the hill one evening to eat because we got back late from hiking. As we were returning to our hotel, we offered a ride to an older gentleman who was walking up the hill. He of course declined and we really felt silly for asking.
Another instance where people just don’t use their heads or their feet is in choosing an elevator or escalator rather than the stairs. While we are walking up the stairs, getting there faster, burning a few more calories, improving our sensitivity to insulin, and conditioning our circulation, we chuckle to see very able bodied people right beside us, all in line, who are missing out and not getting to the top any faster. At my gym, which is on the second floor, I often see people use the elevator to go up to exercise! In America we have 5% of the world’s population and use 25% of the world’s energy, and two-thirds of our people are overweight. We are in serious need of a complete mental realignment!